


Love is Blind, Lust is Blindfolded

by theguineapig3



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Blindfolds, Coming Untouched, Established Relationship, F/F, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Rita has a bit of a praise kink, Vaginal Fingering, briefly mentioned Flynn/Yuri, porn with slight plot, service top Estelle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:46:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/pseuds/theguineapig3
Summary: Rita and Estelle were grateful for Brave Vesperia’s hospitality whenever they visited Dahngrest. Karol always loaned them his room to sleep in, and for the past few years, the arrangement had worked well. But now that they were a couple, Rita was nervous about the idea of being intimate in a friend’s bed. Luckily for both of them, Estelle had a solution.
Relationships: Estellise Sidos Heurassein/Rita Mordio
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Love is Blind, Lust is Blindfolded

**Author's Note:**

> I've always said I don't write smut, but hey. There's a first time for everything and 2020 has been a weird year. Read it with one eye closed if you have to and enjoy.

"I did some redecorating a few weeks ago. Hope you don't mind."

Karol opened the door and stepped aside, motioning Rita and Estelle into the room. It was dark, the only window looking out onto a narrow alley, but a quick flick of the light switch illuminated the area with a soft glow. Estelle let out a gasp of pleasant surprise as the walls came into view, but Rita flinched. For all the artsy guilds he'd been in, Karol wasn't a very good interior decorator. Items and images were haphazardly stuck in whatever location they seemed to fit. The far wall was dedicated, as it had always been, to guild posters and memorabilia, probably from guilds Karol had been a member of at one point. But the area around the bed had now been decorated with photos. Rita knew most of the people in them, of course, but the sight of so many still sent a chill down her spine.

"Yikes. That's a  _ lot _ of pictures."

She knew she didn't have room to judge what Karol did with his space. It felt similar to her own desk, with papers strewn everywhere. But her reference papers and tables didn't have faces on them. They weren't staring back at her while she was trying to work or sleep or... oh no.

"Is it that many?" Karol replied, turning to count. He pointed to one after another and finally came away with a total. "There's twelve. Well, thirteen if you count the framed one on the nightstand. Is that the problem? Are you superstitious about the number thirteen-?"

"Don't be stupid. As if I'd believe in stuff like that."

Rita shoved him out of the way so that she could toss her suitcase into the bed. It felt weird, having to reach up to do it, and she mentally cursed puberty for giving Karol the height it had never been willing to give to her. And unlike her, he was still growing- the brat! But he always volunteered to host her and Estelle in his room when they visited Dahngrest, and she was grateful for that. The inns here were too rowdy, too full of people for her to get any valuable work done, she much preferred the little flat above Brave Vesperia's guild office. It was rowdy too, but at least the rowdiness came from people she was comfortable around. Estelle stepped in beside her, setting her own suitcase down as well.

"I quite like the photos. All those smiling faces make me feel surrounded by love."

Karol flashed that stupid grin of his. "Don't they? A friend from the photography guild lent me his camera, so Yuri and I had fun going around Dahngrest and taking pictures. I've still got the negatives if you want a copy of any of them."

"Who took the one with all of you together?" Estelle pointed at a photo hung just over the headboard, featuring Karol and Yuri in the foreground with their arms around each other while Repede and Judith stood to their left and Raven crowded in from their right. The photo had clearly been taken some months back, as Karol had grown several inches since, but it glowed with that same affectionate energy that Brave Vesperia always had when they were together. Karol looked over at it and laughed.

Raven roped one of his Altosk buddies into being our photographer. The poor guy had no idea how to work the camera, so I'm glad it came out as well as it did."

"You're all so photogenic, how could it not?"

"Aw, Estelle, you're just saying that-"

"Hey!" Rita broke in, shifting the bag she had slung over one shoulder and pulling out an armful of books. "Can you move your crap off the desk so I have somewhere for my books?"

Estelle looked like she was about to scold her, but Karol's face flushed as he scrambled over to the desk in the other corner of the room. "Oops! I totally forgot about that. I'll just put the ledger in the side drawer for now and move these files to the back of the cabinet... there. Should be plenty of room for your books now." He closed the file drawer and turned back with a smile. "I've gotta go help Yuri with dinner, so just make yourselves comfortable in the meantime."

Rita was already busy setting up her own workspace on the desktop, but she listened as Estelle thanked Karol and offered to help with dinner once they'd gotten settled. Once Karol left, Estelle became quiet- not an awkward sort of quiet, just her usual didn't-have-anything-to-say quiet. It was a trait that Rita appreciated highly, never one for meaningless conversation. But she could tell there was something Estelle  _ wanted _ to say and wasn't.

"I'm going to review the preliminary investigation results that Spiritsong sent over. You want me to read it to you, or...?"

Estelle shook her head. "I think I'll see if Yuri and Karol need any help with dinner."

"Alright. Suit yourself."

There was a pause, and before Rita could go back to her reading, Estelle finally added "are you going to be okay in here?"

Rita put the stack of papers down, turning around in the chair. "What do you mean?"

"The photos. If they make you that uncomfortable, then-"

Rita could feel her face glowing red. "They don't! I was just surprised, is all!" 

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely." It wasn't a lie. The photos weren't the problem... just a good scapegoat. Estelle seemed to accept this, much to Rita's relief.

"Okay, then. We'll call you for dinner when it's ready."

"Thanks."

Rita buried herself in her work, the cheerful sounds of her friends in the kitchen going mute against her focus. She was so lost in it, she had no idea how long she'd been reading before the sound of her name broke through her haze.

"Rita! Come get dinner!"

At the sound of Karol's voice, she put the report down and the sudden weight of existence hit her again like it always did in these cases. The smell of food elicited a growl from her empty stomach, which was turning itself in knots, sending a wave of dizziness over her. Her back and neck were sore from the hunched-over position she'd been reading in, and she could tell she'd been clenching her teeth, the way her jaw ached. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, the only response she could give to the discomfort. She knew Estelle would scold her for this later. "I'll be right there. Gimme a sec."

Dinner was pleasant, at least. It was a hot pot with a bunch of their favorite ingredients, and it served as a perfect way to warm up from the cold winter air outside. The conversation was enjoyable too, but Rita was only half paying attention. She kept staring at Estelle from across the table, enough so that Raven made a comment about " _ our little genius is too madly in love with Estelle ta bother payin' attention to the rest'a us _ " and she had to kick him in the shin to shut him up. Sure, she was in love with Estelle. Everyone knew that. But there was more on her mind than that.

It was late by the time they finished cleaning the kitchen, and Yuri and Raven decided to go out for an after-dinner drink while Karol retreated up to the attic with Repede to get some sleep. Judith offered to escort Rita and Estelle out to her favorite dive as well, but Estelle refused before Rita had the chance to.

"Perhaps tomorrow night. It's been a long day and I think we're both tired. Rita?"

"Yeah. I don't have the energy for a place like that." Rita shook her head, and Judith giggled in response.

"I see," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Saving your energy for...  _ more important _ nighttime activities. I admire your priorities."

"Wha-?! No, that's not-!" Rita began to protest, but Judith was already halfway to the staircase.

"I'll catch up with Yuri and Raven, then. No fun drinking alone, after all. We'll be at the Sagittarius if you finish early and decide you're thirsty after all."

Rita could feel her face burning even more intensely as Judith vanished down the staircase, but Estelle giggled as she watched.

"Judith's not very subtle, is she?"

"She said it so casually too. Does she assume that just 'cause we're dating now, we fuck every night?" Rita groaned and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the embarrassment. 

"You have to understand, her frame of reference is Yuri and Flynn."

"Ah. That explains it. There's not a moment when those two aren't dying to get in each other's pants." Rita let out a sigh, relaxing a little as she was able to put the focus on someone else. "If Yuri wants a dick in his ass every night, that's his business. Don't make it my problem."

"...Rita, don't be so crude. Judith was trying to be supportive."

Estelle sounded genuinely upset, and Rita felt a pang of regret. "Sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. I just..." She paused a moment, fidgeting with her hands. "...I'm gonna go finish that investigation report."

"What? More  _ work _ ?"

Estelle followed Rita back into Karol's bedroom, and Rita noticed that she turned the lock when she closed it behind her. A knot of nervousness formed in Rita's stomach.

"Yeah, work. Was there... something else you had in mind?"

Estelle crossed the room and approached the corner where her suitcase and its contents were laid out. "I thought, perhaps, we deserve a break after traveling all day." She removed her sweater and began unbuttoning her dress as she continued. "Did what Judith said make you uncomfortable? It's fine if you're just not feeling up to it tonight, but you shouldn't let a little teasing get to you."

"It's not what Judith said," Rita began, and then amended her statement. "Well, not entirely. I just wonder... if Judith knows we're having sex, what about the others? Did Karol have second thoughts about lending us his bed now that we're a couple?" She slumped onto the bed as she said it, sinking back into the pillows.

"I don't think he's concerned about this sort of thing," Estelle replied, and Rita just scoffed.

"He's a sixteen-year-old boy. At any given moment, there's a ninety percent chance he's thinking about sex. He's probably jerking off right now. I'm surprised he didn't take  _ this _ with him."

Estelle had slipped into her nightgown and returned to the bed, sitting down next to Rita and gently pulling her hand away from the photo of Nan that was displayed on the wall. "Rita, I think you need to stop projecting your insecurities onto your friends."

"M-my WHAT?" Rita spluttered, pulling herself from Estelle's grasp. "What makes you think I'm doing that?!"

"It's okay for you to enjoy sex. You don't have to paint Yuri as a sex maniac or Karol as a horny teenager to justify having your own desires."

"I'm not-! That's not-!" Rita scrambled off the bed and over to her own belongings. Hearing Estelle saying words like 'sex' and 'desires' was sending a wave of heat through her body. "That's not what I'm doing at all! I'm perfectly confident in my attraction to you! It's just..."

"Just?"

Estelle's voice was so loving and gentle, it wasn't helping Rita's situation. Undressing, even with her nightshirt handy to put on as soon as she was bare, was sending her body all the wrong signals too, and it was infuriating how turned on she'd gotten in such a short amount of time. She bit her lip, trying to control the pitch of her voice.

"It's just... this is the first time since we've been, y'know,  _ together _ that we're sleeping in a place that's not ours. Something about it feels... wrong. Intrusive."

"We've shared this bed plenty of times before," Estelle pointed out, and Rita shook her head. 

"Not as a couple. We've never shared someone else's bed as a couple."

"I suppose that's true." Estelle offered Rita a sad smile and patted the side of the bed next to her, inviting Rita back now that she'd changed clothes. Rita couldn't help herself. She snuggled in next to Estelle again, just trying not to make eye contact this time. Estelle, meanwhile, leaned down to press her forehead against Rita's. "Being in someone's bedroom, especially someone we know, is different from being somewhere impersonal like an inn. If you don't want to have sex here, I understand. I'm not going to push it."

She was so close that Rita could feel her breath with each word. Her arms were wrapped around Rita's shoulders, pulling her close enough to her chest that Rita could feel her breasts through the silky fabric of her gown. It wasn't intentional- if Estelle said she wasn't going to pressure Rita, she meant it- but Estelle's very presence was enough to fill Rita with desire. She shifted a little, pressing her thighs together as the heat in her body spread.

"Fuck, Estelle, I want you so bad, though..."

Rita's voice had dropped into a lower register, and she could hear- and feel- Estelle let out a little gasp. 

"Are you sure?"

"I... god, I don't know. I don't know anymore."

There was a moment of silence. They sat together, holding each other, both hungry for more yet hesitant to move. Estelle finally let go of Rita, shifting away and leaving Rita very cold in her wake. She reached out for Estelle in surprise, but Estelle was already crossing the room back to where the suitcases were kept.

"I have an idea. It may sound strange, but will you at least consider it?"

"What is it?"

Rita waited with bated breath, watching Estelle rummage through her suitcase for a moment before producing a small piece of cloth. 

"Why don't you wear this?"

At first, Rita thought it was a piece of lingerie, and she felt an overwhelming flash of arousal that shot between her legs and up to her hips. But it died down slightly when she realized that she was mistaken.

"...your sleep mask?"

The mask was made from a soft, comfy fabric, made to rest easily over the eyes and the bridge of the nose. It was decorated like the face of a cat, even having little string whiskers that stuck off the ends of it. Rita had only seen Estelle wear it a few times and figured it was more of a novelty than an actual part of her sleep routine. But tonight, she clearly had a use for it.

"I just thought, if you're blindfolded, it doesn't matter where you are. You can imagine we're having sex wherever you want."

"B-blindfolded?" Rita repeated the word incredulously, trying to wrap her mind around it. Their sex life had been completely vanilla so far, and the idea of introducing something like a blindfold- which was still pretty tame compared to some of the stuff in Estelle's raunchy novels- felt like a big step forward. "I. Erm. I mean." She took another deep breath to steady herself. "If I can't see, how will I know exactly where to touch you?"

Estelle shook her head. "Don't worry about me. Tonight, I just want to make sure  _ you _ feel good."

"So you just... want me to lie back, blindfolded, and let you have your way with me?"

Even in the dim light, Rita could see a blush creep over Estelle's face. "I'll tell you everything I'm going to do before I do it. But if the idea still makes you uncomfortable, then don't worry about it-"

"Give me that mask."

Estelle stopped, staring back at Rita as if she hadn't heard. "What?"

Rita hated repeating herself, but she'd learned that Estelle needed extra confirmation before she'd do anything sexual, and Rita was too needy at this point to let her pride get in the way. She held out her hand impatiently.

"Give me the mask. Ravish me so hard, I forget whose bed we're in."

Estelle's little gasp brought another wave of heat over Rita, and she waved the hand she was holding out. Estelle closed the distance between them, climbing back onto the bed next to Rita and motioning for her to turn around.

"I'll put it on you. Let me undo your hair first."

In the whole commotion, Rita had forgotten that her hair was still tied up. She turned, offering Estelle access to the clip at the back of her head. Estelle removed it, releasing the long, brown locks and running her hand through them in reverence. Rita's impatience subsided- Estelle's fingers against her scalp felt so good, she couldn't help but relax and enjoy.

"You have such beautiful hair, Rita," Estelle murmured, and Rita could hear her set the hair clip onto the bedside table. "It's so soft, I could run my hands through it all day."

Rita closed her eyes and let out a content sigh. "I'd sit here all day and let you do it."

"I'm glad. Maybe some other time." Estelle pressed a kiss to the back of Rita's head and then slipped the mask over her eyes. The fit was a little loose, but if she were lying down, there'd be no danger of it falling off. Estelle turned her around so that they were facing each other, and while she couldn't see Estelle, she could hear her giggle. "That looks so cute on you."

"You think? I assumed it'd look ridiculous."

"It's adorable. Exactly your style." 

Estelle leaned in to kiss Rita properly this time, and Rita pushed into it, hungrily diving past her girlfriend's lips and into her mouth with her tongue. Her hands fumbled their way to Estelle's waist and then up to her breasts, squeezing them through the fabric of her gown and enjoying the soft moans she was rewarded with as a result. Estelle's hands had been on Rita's shoulders, but they wandered down her sides until they reached the hem of her nightshirt and shoved their way underneath. She went for Rita's breasts too, massaging them in the same way Rita was doing for her- but without the fabric in the way. Feeling Estelle's skin against hers was too much for Rita, and she rocked back and forth against Estelle as she rode out the sparks of pleasure that shot through her breasts and hips. 

Unable to keep from touching herself any longer, Rita pulled one hand from Estelle's body and reached down between her own legs. Estelle stopped her, however, grabbing her wrist before she could make it.

"Lie back," she whispered, half into Rita's mouth. "I'll take care of that."

Pulling away from the kiss- away from Estelle- felt like torture, but Estelle helped ease Rita back onto the pillow and then positioned herself over top of her. She took the hem of Rita's nightshirt and pulled it up over her breasts so that her full body was exposed. The chill was sharp at first, but Rita's excitement soon chased it away.

"Let me know if you get cold," Estelle murmured, lowering herself gently against Rita's bare body. "We can take this under the blankets."

"I'm good for now-" Rita whispered back, cutting off with a hiss as Estelle resumed working over her breasts and pressed a kiss to her neck. It was so good that she hated to put a stop to it, but her need in another area was still growing, and Estelle had promised to see to that. "You said..." she hissed, shifting her legs and nudging Estelle, "...that you'd take care of it."

"I will, love. I will." Estelle slid down Rita's body, kissing at her breasts and finally reaching her hand down between her legs. She pressed one finger into the seam of Rita's panties, gently tracing a damp outline around her entrance, and Rita writhed in delight. "That feel better?"

"Mm. Yeah. Better."

Estelle giggled again, leaning back into Rita's breasts and moving her finger to keep tracing slow circles against Rita's underwear. It was all Rita could do not to twitch and squirm and beg, but she knew that Estelle could feel the tension growing in her muscles and understood what she needed. Another gentle circle around her entrance and a line traced straight across, and Rita was on the edge.

"Sh-shit, Estelle, I'm already gonna..."

"It's okay," Estelle whispered back. "Don't hold back. Let it happen."

She resumed tracing like she had before, and with the next kiss she placed against Rita's breast, she dragged her tongue along it, nipping at the hard point when she reached it. That was the final tipping point, and Rita didn't bother trying to stifle her moan as she let the orgasm overcome her. Estelle stayed pressed against her as she shook, one finger still resting against the now-soaked fabric between her legs. As Rita stilled and her breathing steadied, she heard Estelle giggle again.

"You're so good, Rita. So good. You know that?"

"Mm."

"Can I take these off you now? Do you think you'll be too cold?"

"Nnn... 's hot. Take it off."

Another giggle, and Estelle shifted to pull at the waistband of Rita's panties. She slipped them off her hips and down her legs, and as they brushed past, Rita could feel how embarrassingly wet they were.

"...hafta clean those..." she murmured, and felt Estelle lean in to kiss her stomach just above her navel.

"Don't worry. I'll happily take responsibility."

"Fuck. I love you."

"I love you too. I love you so much." 

And with that, Estelle was trailing kisses back up Rita's torso, in between her breasts and onto her collarbone, pushing the nightshirt further up against her neck. With her underwear tossed aside, she was fully exposed now, and was beginning to feel the cold. But Estelle's hands roamed down to her waist, and Rita forgot all about the chill in the air.

Unsure what to do with her hands since she couldn't see, Rita placed them against the back of Estelle's head, intertwining her fingers in Estelle's hair. Estelle's head was moving, kissing and sucking at Rita's breasts as her hands massaged Rita's waist, so it was difficult for Rita to keep her grip steady. She didn't want to accidentally pull on Estelle's hair, just wanted the feeling of it in her fingers. But with Estelle's head bobbing back and forth and Rita's own body shuddering at the feeling of Estelle's hands moving down along her hips and thighs, she decided to let go for safety's sake.

Estelle lifted her head from Rita's chest. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Feels good. Just didn't wanna accidentally pull your hair."

"It's alright if you do pull my hair," Estelle assured her. "But if you're more comfortable this way, I rather like seeing you clutching at the bedsheets."

Oh god, that was hot. Rita had  _ just _ come, and already she was feeling wound up again. How could Estelle do that sort of thing to her just by making an offhand comment? It made her grip on the sheets tighten, and Estelle seemed to notice. She let out a quiet giggle and buried her face back into Rita's chest.

"You're so good at this, Rita," she whispered, one hand moving up from Rita's thigh to hover between her legs again. "I love seeing you like this. I love making you feel good. Can I touch you inside?"

"...please," Rita breathed, and she could feel Estelle smile against her chest.

"Just one finger for right now," Estelle explained as the tip of her finger slid easily inside, "but if you want more, just say so."

"Mm... mhmm..." Rita could only nod as Estelle's fingertip began to swirl in circles, massaging as it slowly and gently pushed deeper in. They hadn't been doing this for that long, but Estelle had already gotten good at finding Rita's weak spots. She moved from one breast to another with her mouth, sucking and nibbling at the skin, while one hand massaged Rita's inner thigh and the other thumbed at her clit and pushed a finger deeper inside. It was like she was listening for any kind of reaction, and once she got one, she latched onto it. A slight whimper as Estelle's teeth grazed a nipple turned into a full-on cry as Estelle stopped there and bit down; a muffled groan when Estelle's finger hit a sweet spot deep inside her turned into a drawn-out moan when Estelle doubled down on it, cut off only when Estelle moved her head back up to kiss Rita's mouth.

When they'd first started, Rita had been shy about the noises she made, embarrassed that such sounds could come out of her own mouth. But with Estelle using her sounds as a guide, rewarding her if she was brave enough to voice it when she did something right, she began to associate her own noises with pleasure before she even realized what was happening. She knew now- Estelle was training her like a goddamn puppy, and she didn't care. The treats were too good to pass up for something silly like pride, and she so  _ loved _ being told she was a good girl.

Estelle pulled away from the kiss only slightly, keeping their faces close. Her finger and thumb had gone still, and Rita fought back an impatient whine as she listened.

"I'm going to add another finger. Is that okay?"

"Hurry up." Rita whispered back, and was pleased when Estelle wasted no time. She pulled her current finger out and pushed back in with the tips of two. Rita's hips jerked forward in anticipation and she drew ragged breaths as Estelle moved deeper, so beautifully, painfully slow. "K-keep going. Don't stop. Please."

Estelle kept her face against Rita's neck, and her free hand moved back up to Rita's breasts. She pinched and kneaded on the nipples until she could hear Rita moaning again while her thumb and two fingers picked up speed further down. It was so much, so good, Rita could barely think through the haze of pleasure. She was feeling so loved and so full, there wasn't a need for anything else. 

As Estelle had instructed her to do before, she didn't tense up or resist when she felt another orgasm coming. "...gonna come again..." she murmured, ready to revel in this one too-

But Estelle stopped.

"Can you hold out just a little longer?" Estelle whispered, her fingers remaining painfully still as Rita desperately grinded against them. "I want to finish you off with my tongue. I want to taste you."

Rita worked hard to suppress the whine in her voice as she replied. "D-do it fast. I can't..."

"I will. You're so good at this, I know you can make it."

"Mm."

The fingers slid out, once again leaving Rita with an empty ache. But after a moment- it sounded like Estelle was licking her fingers and Rita wished she could see it- Estelle's hands found their way to Rita's thighs, lifting her legs up. Keeping her hands against Rita's thighs, Estelle buried her face between Rita's legs, tongue flicking around the entrance to lap up what she could and passing over the clit once before pushing in. Estelle's tongue was so different from her fingers; it didn't have quite the same reach, but it was so much warmer, softer and wetter, it provided an entirely different form of pleasure that sent Rita howling again with delight.

Estelle had seemed so excited to eat her out, Rita hated for it to end so fast. But she had already been at her limit, and this was too much. The point was for Estelle to taste her, right? Then it was okay for her to come now. She assured herself of that- right before the orgasm wiped her mind blank of everything except the feeling of thrusting her hips against Estelle's face.

It might've been her imagination, but she could swear she felt Estelle's lips and tongue vibrate, as if letting out a cry of her own. It wasn't like Rita could hear it even if she had, considering her own yell left her ears ringing. She caught her breath, letting her muscles relax while Estelle gently- and somewhat shakily- licked her clean.

"That was good. That was so good. You're so good, Rita." Estelle's voice was breathless as she lowered Rita's legs back down to the bed and pulled her nightshirt back down. "You can take the mask off now. I'm gonna... I just need to..."

Rita sat up, feeling the bed shift as Estelle stepped off of it. She pulled the mask up from over her eyes. "Let me help you-" she began, but stopped as she saw the outline of Estelle in the darkness, discarding her own underwear and reaching for a towel.

"No, it's not that. I just need to, ah, clean up." There was embarrassment in Estelle's voice, a wild contrast to her earlier confidence. Rita stared, taking a minute to process the implication.

"Wh... when did you come? Your hands were on me the entire time."

"Right after you did," Estelle answered with a nervous-sounding giggle. "You were so warm, tasted so good, sounded so..." She paused and shuddered. "I couldn't help it."

Rita fell back against the pillows. "You got off  _ just _ to eating me out? You're incredible."

"I think you're the incredible one, to do that to me."

Estelle climbed back into bed with Rita, snuggling up close and pulling the blankets over top of them. Rita was still wrapping her mind around everything that had happened, and as she nuzzled into Estelle's neck, she forgot that the mask was still resting against her forehead. Estelle laughed and pulled it off.

"This worked better than I thought," she commented, setting it aside and turning back to Rita. "You seemed totally comfortable."

"I was. I... was." Rita finally allowed herself to glance around the room, seeing it properly again in the dim light. The photos, the posters, the guild souvenirs- it was Karol's bedroom alright. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh as she came to terms with it. "We had sex in Karol's bed. We had  _ really good _ sex in Karol's bed."

Estelle kissed Rita's cheek. "He'll be glad to know we enjoyed it that much, won't he?"

"Don't you dare say anything to him! What if he kicks us out? The work on the new generators is gonna keep me here for another week, at the least."

"So you...  _ like _ staying in Karol's room, then?"

Rita closed her eyes again. "It's not ideal. But the damage is done. We've already had sex in his bedroom. Might as well keep having sex in his bedroom."

"I'm so happy to hear you say that, Rita." Estelle hugged her tighter, the two sinking deeper into the pillows. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Estelle."

Rita relaxed, basking in Estelle's warmth as she drifted off. She could hear Estelle's breathing beginning to slow into a steady rhythm, and felt a rush of affection. It had been a workout for her, of course, but even moreso for Estelle, who had to worry about both her and Rita's every move. No wonder she was exhausted. And yet, she'd done it all for Rita's sake and was looking forward to doing it again. 

Rita found herself looking forward to it too. No shame involved.

As she started to drift into sleep, she heard the muffled sound of footsteps on the stairs outside their door. At first, she assumed it was Judith and the others coming home from the tavern. But this was just one set of footsteps, and it was coming down from the attic rather than up from the ground floor. There was a pause, and before Rita could think more about it, she heard a knock on the door and a low voice.

"Estelle? Rita? Are you still awake? I forgot something."

Estelle began to stir from her half-sleep, but Rita had already sat up, and motioned for her to rest again. "Yeah, just a sec!" she called, and reached over to pull down the photo she'd been looking at earlier. With it in her hand, she approached the door and unlocked it to open just a crack. "Here. Knock yourself out."

"What-?" Karol took the photo from her, squinting at it in the dim light as he tried to make out what it was. "-the hell is this? Did you take this off my wall?! Rita! Put it back!"

"That's not what you wanted?"

"Of course not! Why would you even think that? Like I'd sleep with a picture of...? That's creepy! You're so mean, Rita-!"

"So what do you want, then?" Rita snatched the photo back, unsure whether she was satisfied or disappointed by Karol's reaction. He at least seemed to have more shame than she did- maybe Estelle was right about him not being concerned about that sort of thing after all. Karol pushed the door open and pointed toward the dresser.

"That little blastia-style lamp you gave me for my birthday last year. I usually keep it on while I'm sleeping, in case I get up in the middle of the night."

He slept with a light on? That was kinda cute... and perfect fodder for teasing. Rita couldn't help a smirk. "Aww, does the baby have trouble sleeping without his nightlight? You want me to get your blankie and teddy bear too?"

"Sh-shut up! It's not like I'm scared of the dark or anything! I only need it because I don't know where everything in the attic is. You want me to fall in the middle of the night and crack my head open?"

Rita turned around to retrieve the lamp, but her grin didn't waver. "Whatever you say, Boss. Are you sure you don't want me to check under Yuri's bed for monsters, just in case?"

"Give me the stupid lamp, will you? I'm tired." Karol held out his hand, and Rita placed the lamp into it with a satisfied nod.

"Good night."

"Good night, Rita. Please don't take down any more of my pictures."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Karol closed the door behind him, and Rita let out a sigh of relief. If he'd heard any of the commotion she and Estelle had made, he wasn't going to mention it. It was probably for the best. She set Nan's photo onto the dresser to put back up in the morning and climbed back into bed with Estelle. As she did so, she could hear Estelle giggling.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just... you were worried about making things weird with Karol, but as soon as he showed up, the two of you acted the same as always."

Rita felt a blush creep over her cheeks. "You think he heard us?"

"Maybe. It seems like he waited until we were finished to come ask for his lamp, but that could be a coincidence."

"Whatever. It's not like I care." Rita let out a breath, sinking back into bed as she wrapped her arms around Estelle once again. "If I get anxious about it, you can always blindfold me again."

"I'll be glad to."

Despite Estelle being half asleep, it was said with such enthusiasm that Rita couldn't help a shiver of excitement. Was Estelle thinking of ramping things up next time? With a blindfold as a starting point, they could go in any manner of directions- all frighteningly tantalizing in their own way.

Karol's room or not, Rita couldn't wait to find out what Estelle had in store for her next.


End file.
